We’ve all been there. You turn on your computer, open Microsoft Word, and stop. Your fingers hover over the keyboard as that cursed black line blinks at you from a blank, white page. Your mind feels like the spinning cursor of death, stuck on an infinite loading cycle.
Writer’s block. The bane of my existence. “It’s just a temporary block,” I say to myself. “I’ll get over it soon.” An hour turns to a day, to a week, to a month, to several months, until I realize I haven’t touched my writing in so long that I’ve forgotten what I wanted to say. This mostly happens to me with stories or novels, which are what I most frequently write. But writer’s block can hit everyone, which is why I’ve compiled some tips and thoughts that help me personally overcome these moments.
1. Reading or re-reading anything and everything I can get my hands on.
Of course, sometimes the ideas really just aren’t there. In those cases, I like to read, to think about someone else’s thoughts: books, interviews, newspaper and journal articles, Wattpad stories, fanfiction, blog posts, etc. It’s refreshing to let someone else’s writing do the thinking for you. You never know what might stick in your brain and lead to a new idea, or what kind of crazy things your subconscious will come up with while you’re focusing on something else!
1b. Listening to music.
Songs tell stories too! When I need a break to just let my imagination run wild, I put on some music and just let my mind wander. I have playlists dedicated to certain stories I write, and the songs help me think of new ideas for plots or characters, or new ways to think about ideas I’ve already come up with.
2. Developing a routine for writing.
Inspiration is a fickle creature, but if you set aside a set time for writing every day (maybe 5-10 minutes, or more if your schedule allows for it) then you’ll be making progress no matter what. Establishing a routine can also tell your brain, “Hey, it’s time to focus on this activity now”, which can help make it easier for the words to begin flowing.
3. Not worrying about being perfect.
You can always, always go back and edit a rough first draft. In fact, you definitely should do that. If you can’t find that perfect word or phrase, just put some parentheses around what you want to say, and come back to it later. It’s possible to edit bad writing later, but it’s impossible to edit what’s not there. Writing something down is always more progress than not writing anything at all.
4. Finally, realizing that writer’s block isn’t real.
Whoa, wait a minute. Then what’s the point of this article? If writer’s block isn’t real, why do I stare at blank pages so frequently without putting any words down? The truth is, writer’s block is just an excuse. If I wait for the “perfect moment” or the “right inspiration” to write, it’ll never get done. All of the above are tips to overcome writer’s block, but the truth is, unless you sit down and tell yourself you’re going to write, all the tips in the world won’t help you put those words on the page.
So, even when writer’s block makes you feel like this…
